McAlvey Merchant Associates

What McAlvey Merchant Associates does

McAlvey Merchant & Associates is a Lansing, Michigan-based government relations and lobbying firm founded in 1997. The firm provides six core professional services: strategic planning, direct lobbying, political consulting, policy research and issue support, appropriations, and conservation advocacy. Its client base of more than 40 organizations spans healthcare and life sciences, education (K-12 and higher education), local government, energy and environment, financial services, and conservation/recreation, with named clients including Huntington National Bank, AbbVie, AT&T Michigan, Consumers Energy, Rivian, Oakland University, Grand Rapids Public Schools, and the Michigan Corn Growers Association.

The firm operates from a single office at 120 W. Ottawa Street in Lansing, located one block from the Michigan State Capitol, and runs as a partner-led practice with 9 total team members (3 partners, 2 associates, and 4 administrative/support staff). Services are delivered as bespoke retainers or fee-for-service engagements built around named lobbyists rather than any proprietary technology platform. Revenue is generated entirely through professional services fees with no disclosed pricing or productized offerings.

The business is a privately held, single-jurisdiction professional services firm with no external investment, no parent company, and no disclosed financial metrics. Ownership transferred in 2023 from founder Jeff McAlvey to partner Rusty Merchant, and the firm has since added two new lobbyists (Graham Filler in January 2025, Megan Blue in March 2026) to deepen its healthcare, energy, and Republican-facing legislative coverage. Marketing activity is limited to a bi-weekly newsletter (MM&A Messenger / Lansing Report), a blog, a LinkedIn presence, and hosted events at the firm's Capitol-adjacent event space.

Name

McAlvey Merchant Associates

Legal name

McAlvey Merchant Associates

Website

https://mcalvey.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

McAlvey Merchant & Associates is a Lansing, Michigan government relations firm founded in 1997 that provides strategic planning, direct lobbying, political consulting, policy research, appropriations, and conservation services to more than 40 clients across healthcare, education, energy, financial services, and local government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Lobbying and Government Relations Services: Professional lobbying services billed on a retainer or fee-for-service basis. Services include strategic planning, direct lobbying, political consulting, policy research, appropriations navigation, and conservation advocacy for clients across Michigan.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

McAlvey Merchant & Associates is a full-service Michigan government relations and lobbying firm that provides strategic planning, direct lobbying, political consulting, policy research, appropriations navigation, and conservation advocacy to organizations seeking to influence state legislative and policy outcomes. The firm is based one block from the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing and serves more than 40 clients across industries including healthcare, education, energy, financial services, telecommunications, and local government.

Product overview

McAlvey Merchant & Associates is a full-service government relations firm offering a unified suite of lobbying and political consulting services. The firm provides six core service offerings: Strategic Planning, Direct Lobbying, Political Consulting, Policy Research & Issue Support, Appropriations, and Conservation. These services are delivered by a team of experienced lobbyists who work collaboratively with clients to develop tailored approaches for navigating Michigan's complex political landscape. The firm's expertise spans multiple industries including energy, environment, education, healthcare, insurance, city government, finance, telecommunications, and charitable organizations. All services emphasize building relationships with policymakers, achieving measurable results, and providing ethical, transparent representation for over 40 current clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Planning Tailored strategic planning services that develop specific goals and measurable outcomes designed to achieve legislative or policy success. The firm crafts custom strategies based on each client's unique goals, challenges, and dynamics rather than cookie-cutter approaches.
• Direct Lobbying Direct advocacy services communicating client needs to legislative leaders and executive branch officials. The firm leverages strong relationships with both Republican and Democrat lawmakers to connect clients with the right decision-makers at the right time.
• Political Consulting Election cycle analysis and strategic political campaign participation services including donation plan budgeting, candidate identification, political action committee (PAC) establishment and management, and employee PAC training.
• Policy Research & Issue Support Objective legislative analysis providing clear, concise research on complex policy issues. Services include position papers, legislative analysis, fact sheets, and assistance cutting through government jargon and acronyms.
• Appropriations Specialized state budget process navigation to help clients seize opportunities and prevent problems. The firm has highly specialized expertise in harnessing the appropriations process for clients across various industries.
• Conservation Environmental advocacy services focused on protecting Michigan's Great Lakes, inland lakes, rivers, streams, air, and land. The firm supports hunting, fishing, recreation, and conservation values as core to their organizational identity.

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped clients secure millions of dollars in state budget appropriations and grants
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CGCN Group: State-level government affairs and strategic consulting firm providing direct lobbying, appropriations, and policy research services to corporate and association clients; comparable in service mix to MM&A.
• Lambert: Midwest-headquartered public affairs and government relations firm with state-level lobbying capabilities and a comparable mix of strategic communications, public affairs, and direct advocacy services for enterprise and association clients.
• Karoub Associates: Long-established Lansing-based government relations firm providing similar strategic planning, direct lobbying, and political consulting services to Michigan clients. One of MM&A's closest direct competitors in size, geography, and service mix.
• Forbes Tate Partners: Bipartisan government affairs and public affairs strategy firm with state and federal lobbying capabilities, serving corporate clients on legislative strategy, appropriations, and political consulting similarly to MM&A.
• Public Affairs Associates: Lansing-based lobbying and public affairs firm representing clients before the Michigan legislature and executive branch, with comparable services including direct lobbying, strategic planning, and policy research.
• Capitol Strategies Inc. Michigan-focused lobbying and government relations firm providing direct lobbying, strategic planning, and policy advocacy services in the Lansing market alongside MM&A.

Broad incumbents

• Honigman LLP: Major Michigan law firm with an established state government relations and regulatory practice that competes for the same institutional clients; broader legal and consulting portfolio gives it incumbent advantage on large enterprise lobbying engagements.
• Dykema Gossett PLLC: Michigan-based full-service law firm with a dedicated state and federal government relations practice serving healthcare, energy, and financial services clients; overlaps with MM&A in regulated verticals but offers broader legal capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcalvey-merchant
• Facebookfacebook.com/McAlveyMerchant

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McAlvey Merchant Associates